The present invention relates, in general, to data processing systems, and more particularly to high performance computer backplanes.
The rapidly increasing data processing speed and the application of advanced parallel computer distributed processing architectures have introduced requirements for larger computer backplanes, larger volume data transfers, and much faster data rates.
Modem computer backplanes require hundreds of interconnections to implement the multi-bit address, data and control shared among the Application System Modules, also called ASMs, in large and complex systems. Higher volume data transfers introduce a bottleneck in the operation of the modern high speed multiprocessor systems due to data and address sharing by several processors. Additionally, higher data rates set a limit on the size of the backplanes due to the fast degradation of data from multiple loading and increased capacitance in long signal paths.
There is a need for a backplane which will to reduce the complexity and the number of interconnecting paths of the multi-module and multi-pin modern computer backplanes, as well as of the backplanes of other complex computerized systems. This backplane should reduce the Application System data transfer timing and increase its data throughput. Additionally, the backplane should provide a single fault tolerance data transfer over the computer backplane without involvement of the Application System. There should be no restriction in the number of Application System Modules hosted by the computer backplane while the Application System maintains an extremely low bit error rate (BER) and a very high data transfer rate. The solution should also simplify the data transfer process among the Application System Modules and reduction of their communication overhead by having the computer backplane undertaking this responsibility for every Application System it hosts. Ideally the new backplane should achieve these goals during communication among Application System Modules which reside in different computer backplanes of either the same or separate cabinets.